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Venue: Ballroom clear filter
Monday, July 6
 

10:00am CDT

Welcome & Keynote - The Weight and the Wonder
Monday July 6, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Adult education professionals carry tremendous responsibility as they support learners through some of life's most challenging transitions. In this uplifting keynote, Erin Lee Schneider explores the weight we carry and the wonder we create through our work. Through stories and reflections participants will rediscover the moments of impact, transformation, and hope that make this work so meaningful. Erin will also offer a breakout session, where practical strategies will be shared for navigating the weight when it becomes difficult to carry alone.
Speakers
avatar for Erin Lee Schneider

Erin Lee Schneider

Dean, Student Success and Urban Student Development, Des Moines Area Community College
Erin Lee Schneider, J.D. serves as Dean of Student Success and Urban Student Development at Des Moines Area Community College. She previously served as Assistant Dean for Student Services at Drake University Law School, where she was recognized as a Drake Public Service Scholar.A... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Ballroom

11:00am CDT

Using CASAS STEPS, GOALS 2 and Other Tools to Inform Instruction and Support Learner Progress
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Join this interactive workshop designed to help you confidently use CASAS assessments, competencies, and reports to guide instruction and support learners’ work‑readiness and training goals. Together, we’ll walk through practical ways to interpret CASAS tools—such as STEPS and GOALS 2 TE Reports, along with eWORKs, and the Teacher Portal—to better understand learner data, identify instructional needs, and make informed decisions that promote meaningful learner progress.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
  • Interpret CASAS STEPS and GOALS 2 test results, along with key TOPSpro Enterprise (TE) reports, to identify learner needs, performance patterns, and priority skill areas.
  • Connect TE data and CASAS assessment results to competencies, standards, and real‑world tasks to understand what learners are ready to do and where they need targeted support.
  • Use CASAS tools to plan and adjust instruction that supports learner progress toward training, employment, and work‑readiness goals.
Speakers
avatar for Karen C Burger

Karen C Burger

National Program and Field Studies Specialist, CASAS
Karen has worked in education her entire career and first started using CASAS assessments more than 20 years ago. She began teaching ESL to adults in a small workplace project at an Indiana factory and continued at local programs writing curriculum and teaching ESL, EL Civics, ABE... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Ballroom
  General
  • global Y

12:00pm CDT

Lunch, Awards & Recognition
Monday July 6, 2026 12:00pm - 1:15pm CDT

Monday July 6, 2026 12:00pm - 1:15pm CDT
Ballroom

1:15pm CDT

No Budget, No Staff, No Problem? How Institutions Are Adding Certification Programs Without Starting from Scratch
Monday July 6, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Many adult education and continuing education programs want to offer workforce certification training but face real barriers to building it: curriculum development takes time, qualified instructors are hard to find, and upfront costs are hard to justify before a program has proven it can fill. In this session, Pearson will walk through a live demonstration of a self-paced certification training platform designed for adult learners pursuing careers in healthcare and IT, showing how the program is structured to build skills and keep learners on track. We'll open the floor for questions and discussion throughout, and close with a brainstorm on how your institution could partner with us to expand workforce pathways and impact more Iowans!
Speakers
avatar for Lucas Cocco Delgado

Lucas Cocco Delgado

Manager, Partnerships, Pearson Career Ready
Lucas works on community college and university partnerships at Pearson Career Ready, focusing on adult learners and workforce development, and connecting adult education programs and community colleges with workforce certification tools. He began his career as a Teach For America... Read More →
avatar for Laura Weiss

Laura Weiss

Senior, Lead, Pearson Career Ready
Laura Weiss leads commercial strategy and growth for Pearson Career Ready, overseeing workforce certification programs designed for adult learners at community colleges and continuing education programs. She started her career as a Teach For America corps member teaching in the South Bronx and hold... Read More →
avatar for Juan Manuel Garcia

Juan Manuel Garcia

Director, Strategic Partnerships, Pearson
Juan Manuel Garcia leads strategic partnerships at Pearson and brings more than 18 years of experience in adult and postsecondary education. A former English Language Learner and adult learner himself, he has built programs and partnerships reaching over one million students. He is a recipient of ACT... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Ballroom

3:00pm CDT

Professional Development and ILC: A Director’s Look at ConnectAble’s Professional Development Dashboard
Monday July 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
A close look and training for directors on how to track, report, and measure professional development within the ConnectAble system.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Tregg Hopkins

Dr. Tregg Hopkins

Co-Founder, ConnectAble
Dr. Treg Hopkins is the Co-Founder of Connectable, an Illinois-based nonprofit committed to enhancing adult education programs across more than 25 states through advanced data systems and artificial intelligence. As a Certified Quantitative Methodologist, his research focuses on neurodiversity... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Ballroom
 
Tuesday, July 7
 

8:00am CDT

Keynote - Remember Your Why: Reconnecting Purpose in Adult Education
Tuesday July 7, 2026 8:00am - 9:15am CDT
The purpose of this presentation is to reconnect educators and professionals to their purpose, strengthen resilience, and inspire intentional, learner-centered practices that ultimately improve outcomes for the adults and communities they serve. The framework of the presentation/conversation will center on the following concepts. To understand and embrace that adult education can change the course of the lives of its students in a manner that is different than traditional education. To acknowledge the weight of the work in Adult Education. To embrace the power of belief and the impact it can have on adult learners and ourselves as educators/professionals. To remember your why with intentional practice, because over time, systems, along with the heaviness of what we do, can make us forget.  To understand and acknowledge that transformation often happens quietly over time. You are still making a difference, so trust the process. To learn of the positive ripple effect of your presence and contribution in adult education on individuals, families, and communities. 
Speakers
avatar for Alyson Simmons

Alyson Simmons

Founder | Executive Director, Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center
Alyson Simmons is the Founder and Executive Director of the Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center (CITRC) and a former principal for A. Simmons Consulting, LLC. She has over twenty-five years of experience in health care and contract administration, policy and fund development, and systems chang... Read More →
Tuesday July 7, 2026 8:00am - 9:15am CDT
Ballroom

9:30am CDT

Professional Development and ILC: A Staff and Faculty Look at ConnectAble’s Professional Development Dashboard
Tuesday July 7, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
A close look and training for all staff and faculty members on how to track, report, and measure professional development within the ConnectAble system.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Tregg Hopkins

Dr. Tregg Hopkins

Co-Founder, ConnectAble
Dr. Treg Hopkins is the Co-Founder of Connectable, an Illinois-based nonprofit committed to enhancing adult education programs across more than 25 states through advanced data systems and artificial intelligence. As a Certified Quantitative Methodologist, his research focuses on neurodiversity... Read More →
Tuesday July 7, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Ballroom

10:45am CDT

No Budget, No Staff, No Problem? How Institutions Are Adding Certification Programs Without Starting from Scratch
Tuesday July 7, 2026 10:45am - 12:15pm CDT
Many adult education and continuing education programs want to offer workforce certification training but face real barriers to building it: curriculum development takes time, qualified instructors are hard to find, and upfront costs are hard to justify before a program has proven it can fill. In this session, Pearson will walk through a live demonstration of a self-paced certification training platform designed for adult learners pursuing careers in healthcare and IT, showing how the program is structured to build skills and keep learners on track. We'll open the floor for questions and discussion throughout, and close with a brainstorm on how your institution could partner with us to expand workforce pathways and impact more Iowans!
Speakers
avatar for Lucas Cocco Delgado

Lucas Cocco Delgado

Manager, Partnerships, Pearson Career Ready
Lucas works on community college and university partnerships at Pearson Career Ready, focusing on adult learners and workforce development, and connecting adult education programs and community colleges with workforce certification tools. He began his career as a Teach For America... Read More →
avatar for Laura Weiss

Laura Weiss

Senior, Lead, Pearson Career Ready
Laura Weiss leads commercial strategy and growth for Pearson Career Ready, overseeing workforce certification programs designed for adult learners at community colleges and continuing education programs. She started her career as a Teach For America corps member teaching in the South Bronx and hold... Read More →
avatar for Juan Manuel Garcia

Juan Manuel Garcia

Director, Strategic Partnerships, Pearson
Juan Manuel Garcia leads strategic partnerships at Pearson and brings more than 18 years of experience in adult and postsecondary education. A former English Language Learner and adult learner himself, he has built programs and partnerships reaching over one million students. He is a recipient of ACT... Read More →
Tuesday July 7, 2026 10:45am - 12:15pm CDT
Ballroom

12:15pm CDT

Lunch / Closing Celebration & Door Prize Drawing
Tuesday July 7, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm CDT

Tuesday July 7, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm CDT
Ballroom

1:45pm CDT

Quick-Win Lessons: Low Prep Strategies for Mixed Level Classrooms
Tuesday July 7, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
This practical workshop shares low-prep, high-impact activities for ABE, ESL, and HSE classrooms. Participants learn eight “quick win” lesson templates that work across levels, increase engagement, and simplify differentiation. Teachers and tutors leave with plug-and-play routines, leveled examples, and printable templates they can use immediately—perfect for busy instructors and volunteer-supported programs.
Speakers
avatar for Kathy Houghton

Kathy Houghton

Executive Director, Literacy New York
Kathy Houghton is the Executive Director of Literacy New York and the director of Literacy NY’s NY State Education Department-funded Rest of State Support and Technical Assistance Center (STAC). Unique to NY State, the STAC builds capacity and offers support to community-based and... Read More →
Tuesday July 7, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Ballroom
  General
  • global Y
 
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